Gene Chizik is clearly in a different place: The SEC

Gene Chizik, who fled Iowa State for Auburn last December, had his first A-Day spring game on April 18 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The attendance was 45,381, a school record.

I'm sorry, but 45,381 for a spring game doesn't compute. Nor does that being just the fourth-biggest crowd for a Southeastern Conference spring game (Other figures are later in this post).

Nor does a crowd of 95,722 last Saturday at Ohio State's spring game, or 76,500 at Penn State's, or 77,670 at Nebraska's (at $10 a ticket).

But let's focus for a moment on 45,381 at Auburn.

“My hat's off to all the Auburn faithful,” Chizik said. “It's really awesome.

“And I'll tell you what, our fans delivered. It was a great crowd. But it's the Auburn Way.”

Isn't that heartwarming, Iowa State fans?

(From the "Is This Anything?" files, there's this on Auburn recruiting): If it's any consolation to you Cyclones, it will be a lot more than 45,381 Tigers followers who will be livid at Chizik if his team has a record anything close to the 5-19 he put up in two seasons at ISU.

Not that Chizik will be particularly interested in what Cyclone fans are feeling. He's head coach at a place that attracts 45,381 to a spring game. Iowa State had 7,000 for its spring game the same day.

Oh by the way, Auburn has dug into its excuse file to avoid playing UCLA in Atlanta in 2010.

I tracked down these figures, either official head-counts or estimates from the schools or media outlets:

BIG TEN

Ohio State 95,722

Penn State 76,500

Michigan 50,000

Michigan State 26,000

Wisconsin 23,500

Illinois 10,000

Minnesota 7,700

Purdue 5,000

Indiana 3,500

Northwestern 3,250

Iowa (final spring practice not open to fans because of new turf being installed at Kinnick Stadium)

BIG 12

(I couldn't find a figure for Baylor, and didn't go crazy trying to do so. Kansas State's spring game is this Saturday.)

Nebraska 77,670

Texas 44,000

Oklahoma 28,592

Kansas 17,000

Missouri 13,122

Texas Tech 12,500

Oklahoma State 12,000

Colorado 11,700

Texas A&M 8,000

Iowa State 7,000

SEC

Alabama 84,050

Florida 65,000

Tennessee 51,488

Auburn 45,381

Georgia 42,458

Mississippi State 31,606

Arkansas 30,000

LSU 30,000

Mississippi 28,357

South Carolina 25,157

Kentucky 20,200

Vanderbilt 1,000

OTHERS

Virginia Tech 41,000

Florida State 36,000

Notre Dame 31,104

Clemson 24,000

USC 22,565

Rutgers 15,899

UCLA 12,000

Washington 10,000

Georgia Tech 8,500

Syracuse 5,184

South Florida 5,000

Hawaii 3,726

North Carolina 2,000

Boston College 2,000

Delaware 2,000

Northern Iowa 2,000

Chattanooga 1,187

Washington State 400

BONUS COVERAGE

This Twitter Tweet today from Minnesota Coach Tim Brewster:

My guys are running hard!! You got to love recruiting!! Only bad thing is I cant go out! Awful Rule!!!!! Must be fixed!! Go Gophers!!